This entry will be kept somewhat succinct as there was a lot going on for the operation this week and the games relevant to this entry can be skirted over somewhat while still getting the arcs of the events across. On the road in Yaroslavl on Saturday, November 18th, SKA Saint Petersburg definitely weathered the storm against Lokomotiv, as backup netminder Johan Mattsson faced 51 shots and turned away 50 of them. In fact, in total, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl fired 101 shot attempts off, whereas SKA would put just 12 on net against Lokomotiv G Daniil Isayev. However, this would be sufficient, as Valentin Zykov and Alex Galchenyuk would find the back of the net, before and after Lokomotiv D Martin Gernat’s game-tying goal in the second period, respectively. This was most certainly a game back-stopped by Mattsson, who not only was reliable, but showed some impressive flashiness and mobility. This was the game that TRULY demonstrated his reliability as a back-up to Nikita Serebryakov upon return from injury after appearing solid in his comeback game. Not every victory is going to be the most impressive and it did appear as though SKA was outplayed by the home team throughout much of it. However, a couple of well placed shots (and, in the case of Galchenyuk’s goal, good puck movement) and the netminder stealing one sealed it for bench boss Roman Rotenberg’s group, and they can be content with that.

Meanwhile, HC Sochi were faced with the difficult situation of being short their best player, as RW Matvei Michkov (PHI, 7th overall, 2023) was a scratch due to illness, something that also kept him out of a few games not too long ago. This was a game in which they also had to weather the storm against CSKA Moscow, who they have only defeated once since HC Sochi’s entrance into the KHL in 2014, as they were drastically out-shot throughout the game. For a while, this did not matter, as the sole goal in the game was scored with just under 13 minutes remaining in the second period by C Anton Sagadeyev on a terrific pass by LW Jeremy Bracco. However, eventually, the pure volume of scoring chances and offensive zone presence (along with a costly Sochi defensive error) would tilt the game in CSKA’s favor. Net-front aggression by CSKA captain/D Nikita Nesterov would result in the game being tied at 1 just over four minutes into the final stanza. While an initial go-ahead goal ten minutes in would be waved off upon a successful coach’s challenge by Sochi HC Dmitry Kokorev, two goals by CSKA RW Maxim Mamin (one on an excellent one-timer from a pass by C Maxim Sorkin with a secondary assist to LW Vitaly Abramov, another that was deflected off of the stick blade of Sochi D Artyom Volkov) would render this irrelevant. The final score would be 3-1 in favor of CSKA, with Sochi yet again in the losing column after tasting what Matthew Slater calls “the sweet nectar of victory” just once before resuming their unsuccessful ways that wracked them for several weeks.

HC Sochi had a chance to draw level with Dinamo Minsk in points and surpass them in the standings on a tiebreaker today, but having failed to do this, they remain in ninth place in the Western Conference, just outside the playoff picture. SKA Saint Petersburg, meanwhile, remain in fifth place, but if they can maintain the form they have exhibited on this respectable win streak, they may see their position become more impressive. SKA have their own chance to defeat CSKA Moscow on Monday, November 20th, as the Army Derby rivals get set to do battle in one of Russian ice hockey’s finest rivalries, in a game with important standings implications. Sochi will next play on Wednesday, the 22nd, as they face HC Sibir Novosibirsk on the road in an interconference battle. We shall see if they can re-shape their fortunes back on the positive side and if Michkov will be healthy again.